Dunbar Center

01/15/2024

Does your state protect and support living organ donors? https://bit.ly/3RVWAyh

Does your state protect and support living organ donors?

03/07/2022

March is National Kidney Month, making it a great time to take charge of your health to lower your chances of developing kidney disease. Your kidneys filter your blood to remove waste and extra water to create urine. They also make vital hormones that produce red blood cells, promote bone health and regulate your blood pressure. As such, the kidneys play a vital role in your body.

Today, 37 million Americans are affected by kidney disease—and most won’t have symptoms unless their kidneys fail. There are numerous physical signs of kidney disease, but most people attribute them to other conditions. If you have one of these risk factors, you may be at risk for kidney disease:
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Being overweight
• Family history of kidney disease
It’s even more critical to understand your kidney health amid the pandemic. Kidney disease increases your risk of developing life-threatening complications from COVID-19.

11/12/2021

More than 37 million American adults are living with kidney disease and most don’t know it. “There are a number of physical signs of kidney disease, but sometimes people attribute them to other conditions. Also, those with kidney disease tend not to experience symptoms until the very late stages...

11/11/2021

Learn about the three main blood tests that determine if a patient and a potential kidney donor are a match.

What blood tests will I need to find out if a patient and a potential donor are a kidney match? There are three main blood tests that will determine if a patient and a potential donor are a kidney match. They are blood typing, tissue typing and cross-matching. What is Blood typing (ABO compatibility...

11/10/2021

Patients with kidney failure on maintenance dialysis are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. The average age of patients on maintenance dialysis is 65 years. Further, patients in that population commonly have multiple comorbidities such as diabetes, obesity, and uremia-induced impaired immunity, pu

11/09/2021

Staying intimate with those you love is important. Kidney disease shouldn't obstruct that.

Can people with kidney disease or kidney failure still enjoy s*x? It's important to remember that people with kidney failure can have healthy marriages and meaningful relationships. They can fall in love, care for families, and be s*xual. Staying intimate with those you love is important. It's somet...

11/08/2021

By answering a few questions, we can provide you with individualized information about kidneys and your health. Share with your loved ones! https://www.kidney.org/kidney-pathways

Take control of your kidney health. Answer a few questions and we’ll provide you with personalized information about kidneys and your health.

11/05/2021

A new oral prodrug based on artificial sweetener ingredients delivers carbon monoxide to protect against acute kidney injury, a new study with mice shows.

11/04/2021

Results from the In-Center Hemodialysis Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey indicated that more frequent visits by nephrologists were not associated with improved patient-reported experiences.

11/03/2021

NKF supports the 37 million Americans with kidney disease. Will you support their work? Donate today to help make a difference in the lives of kidney patients and their families nationwide.

Together, we can provide all patients with access to the care, treatment and guidance they need to cope with a kidney disease diagnosis.

11/02/2021

In this study, nearly one-third of patients receiving in-center hemodialysis had higher blood pressure at home than their recorded in-center, pre-dialysis BP and higher left ventricle mass index, suggesting a lack of treatment.

11/01/2021

The past 20 years have seen changes in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) where long-term dialysis is initiated in the United States and the world. According to the US Renal Data System registry, the proportion of new patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) with an eGFR of 10 to 1

10/29/2021

Your Kidneys and Youth includes fun interactive videos and activities for middle school age kids covering kidney basics and health behaviors like eating healthy, getting physical activity and drinking water. Get started today!

Healthy habits start early. Let's learn things right now that will change your health in the future – like what the kidneys are and how to keep them healthy!

10/28/2021

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are more frequently hospitalized are more likely progress to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) or die compared with patients who are rarely hospitalized, independent of traditional risk factors, a new study finds.

10/26/2021

Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are very effective at keeping you from getting COVID-19. Most doctors also agree that the benefits of the vaccine for people with kidney disease, including those on dialysis and those with a kidney transplant, are much greater than the risk of serious complications from the virus than from the vaccine.

Kidney disease and COVID-19 do not go well together. Since the coronavirus arrived in the United States, people with kidney failure, either on dialysis or with a transplant, have had a disproportionately high rate of hospitalization for COVID-19 among all people on Medicare. Should I get the vaccine...

10/25/2021

When a Colorado woman found out her hospital wouldn’t approve her kidney transplant surgery until she got the COVID-19 vaccine , she was left with a difficult decision pitting her health needs against her religious beliefs.

10/22/2021

About 1 out of every 2 U.S. adults is living with high blood pressure, or hypertension. A new study suggests that while 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitors might be a "gold standard," at-home monitoring can offer a "more practical and convenient approach."

Learn more about this study, featuring work by AKF CSN Fellow, Dr. Yoshio Hall. https://bit.ly/3BeFiTz

According to the American Heart Association, about 1 of every 2 of U.S. adults has high blood pressure, or hypertension. More than one in three adults with high blood pressure might not know they have it. High blood pressure is defined as having a systolic pressure (the top number in a reading) of 1...

10/21/2021

Pasta can be helpful for kidney patients due to being low in protein and high in calories. Do you know which varieties are right for you?

If you have early stage kidney disease, a healthcare professional may recommend a low protein diet. When you lower the amount of protein in your diet, you may also find the calories are lower. It’s especially important to get enough calories to maintain a healthy weight at this time. Putting pasta...

10/20/2021

Low blood pressure may be one reason why kidney dialysis patients experience a greater risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Dialysis can cause low blood pressure. A study in PLOS Medicine found this significantly increases the risk of vascular dementia, which is caused by the impaired blo

10/19/2021

Let us help you put your feelings into writing.

As a donor family member, you may or may not decide to write a letter or note to the recipient of loved one’s organ. Living donors who gave to an anonymous recipient may also choose to write. It is completely up to you and you should feel no pressure to act in one way or another. The decision to w...

10/18/2021

The number of patient visits for chronic kidney care dropped by more than 26% in the early months of the . Why it matters? Researchers are racing to understand just how much care people skipped -- and whether it actually affected their health.

The number of patient visits for chronic kidney care plummeted by more than 26% in the months after the start of the pandemic, new data from the nation's largest insurer UnitedHealth Group shows.

10/15/2021

Rich patients get transplants faster than average income patients. Read more...

A common question that patients have is, "If I were rich, would I get a kidney sooner." According to an American Heart Association study , the answer is "Yes."

10/14/2021

October is . Good dental care is important for everyone, but especially for people with kidney disease. Are you following these essential steps?

Good dental care is important for everyone, but especially for people with kidney disease. What might be a minor infection for a healthy person could be major problem for someone with kidney disease. Here’s a bit to explain more: Germs attack (that’s infection). The body fights back (inflammatio...

10/13/2021

Black and Hispanic people are at greater risk of developing kidney disease. Take this simple quiz to find out if you are one of the 33% of adults in the U.S. at risk.

Take the quiz to find out if you’re at risk for kidney disease.

10/11/2021

Dialysis provider DaVita (DVA.N) and its former CEO Kent Thiry were indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on charges they conspired with competitors not to hire each other's key employees, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday.

09/10/2021

Did you know the correct answers to these 5 common myths about ?

09/09/2021